Kid Writing

Michele Thomas

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What is Kid Writing?

A systematic approach to phonics, journal

writing, and Writing Workshop

Helps children understand the process of

sounding out words

Helps children learn the sound/letter

relationships

Children see conventional writing during the

underwriting phase

Mini-lessons are taught from the children’s work

Students share their writing with classmates

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Benefits

Reading and writing are reciprocal processes, each strengthens the other.

As children become writers they: begin to focus their attention on print in

the environment use their visual memory to write words

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 1: Emerging Makes uncontrolled or

unidentifiable scribbling

Level 2: Pictorial Imitates writing Draws somewhat

recognizable picture Tells about picture

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 3: Precommunicative Write to convey a message;

attempts to read it back

Uses letter-like forms and/or

random letter strings

Prints own name or

occasional known word

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 4: Semiphonetic Correctly uses some

letters to match sounds

May use one beginning letter to write a word

Usually writes left to right (may reverse some letters)

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 5: Phonetic Represents beginning and

ending sounds Spells some high-

frequency words correctly in sentences

Includes some vowels (often not correct ones)

Writes one or more sentences with spaces

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 6: Transitional Correctly spells many high-

frequency words in sentences Uses vowels in most syllables (may not be correct) Begins to use simple

punctuation (may not be correct)

Writes more than one sentence

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 7: Conventional Correctly spells many high-

frequency words (more than one sentence).

Larger correctly spelled vocabulary:may use phonetic spelling for advanced words.

Usually using capital and lowercase letters and periods and question marks correctly.

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Developmental Stages of Writing

Level 8: Advanced Uses a rich, varied vocabulary

Mays still use phonics-based spelling for advanced words

Have mastered the spelling

of commonly used words

Uses quotation marks, comma and apostrophes correctly

Usually organizes writing into appropriate paragraphs

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Getting started in the classroom

Break into smaller groups

Sit around the teacher/aide/volunteer

Open up writing notebook to the next page

Date stamp the page Pass out a bag of

markers to each child

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Steps in Kid writing Think about the story you want to

share

Draw a picture

Kid writing (guided phonics-based spelling) The child writes the letter/sounds they hear.

Adult writing/Underwriting

Mini-lesson with the whole group

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Helpers In The Classroom

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Stretching Words the Right Way

Adults help children do the kid writing by: slowly sounding out the ENTIRE word exaggerating key consonant sounds

One key sound per word may be

appropriate at the beginning of the year.

Encourage students to “write the letters you think you hear.”

Often children will write inappropriate

letters and that’s okay for now.

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Tips for Kid Writer Helpers

Ask the child to tell you about their drawing.

Repeat the child’s story back as one complete sentence.

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“S-T-R-E-T-C-H” Words

• Say them slowly but DON’T break them down into individual sounds

• Say, “Watch my mouth and tell me what you hear when I say_____.”

• Have them write what they hear.

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What if …. The child has no idea what letter

makes the sound? Encourage the child to use a magic line.

(a horizontal blank line).

The child hears the letter but does not know how to write it? Refer to the alphabet chart.

You are working with a small group and other children say the sound/letter to help out,

Say to the child writing, “Write what you hear.” Say to the other students, “Thanks for helping.”

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Praise the Child for Their Great Writing!

Underwrite the story in adult writing.

Point out any elements in the kid writing that matched the adult writing.

Read the story back with the child, pointing to each word as you read the adult writing.

Have the child read the story back pointing to the words as they read.

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Cautions

Please be careful of: Spelling Printing clearly Using capital letters ONLY where they

belong

PRAISE the child for their attempts and

IGNORE the mistakes.

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Examples of student work at different levels

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Citations

Feldgus, Eileen, and Isabell Cardonick. Kid Writing. 2nded. Chicago, IL: Wright Group, 1999.

"At&t Labs." Text-to-Speech. 2 Dec 2007 <http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php>.

Digital pictures taken by Michele Thomas

Feldgus, Eileen, and Isabell Cardonick. Kid Writing. 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: Wright Group, 1999.Ā